Method and system for remotely testing a wireless device

ABSTRACT

A method and system for testing a wireless device, the system comprising: a remote user interface for interacting with the data device from a remote location; and a wireless network for communication with the wireless data device from a remote location, wherein a tester can send information to and receive information from the wireless device over said wireless network and can monitor said wireless device and send inputs to the wireless device over the remote user interface thereby forming a closed loop communications path.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.10/785,888, filed Feb. 24, 2004.

FIELD OF THE APPLICATION

This method and apparatus herein relates to a method and system forremotely testing a wireless device and in particular to a remote dataand/or audio user interface for the wireless device and a communicationspath through a wireless network to the wireless device.

BACKGROUND

When developing a wireless device, one of the debugging steps includestesting the wireless device in an actual network. This involves bringingthe device to the location of the wireless network and performing aseries of tests on the device.

Wireless networks vary depending on the service provider and the regionthe network is situated in. In order to test a wireless device, it istherefore necessary to bring the wireless device to these variouslocations, which can be an onerous task. A better solution would be tolocate the wireless device at the remote location and to have theability to perform the tests from a central location.

Further, once a device has been released to the public, technicalsupport to the customers is occasionally required. This generallyinvolves bringing the wireless device to the technical support orperforming technical support over the telephone with the end userproviding input into the wireless device and then reporting the resultsback to technical support. In this case, it would again be moredesirable for technical support to be able to directly control thewireless data device and to receive feedback from the device.

Other reasons for remotely controlling a wireless device and seeing thedisplay of the device include training purposes where the device can beconnected to an overhead projector and thereby project the display ofthe wireless device.

SUMMARY

The apparatus and method herein provide a remote user interface for awireless device. An interface such as a USB, iRDA or Bluetooth isestablished between the wireless device and a remote personal computer,referred to herein as a server machine. The wireless data deviceincludes software to capture the LCD display and this information isforwarded to the server machine computer. In a preferred embodiment, thewireless device is a data device, but other devices are contemplated.

The server machine has a network connection, which allows the servermachine to be connected with a local personal computer referred toherein as a client machine. The server machine converts the datareceived over the interface from the wireless data device and sends itover the network to the client machine. At the client machine, softwareconverts this data and displays it on the monitor of the client machine.

Keyboard or stylus input from the client machine is converted bysoftware on the client machine and sent over the network to the servermachine and over the interface to the wireless data device. An interfacedriver handling the interface for the wireless data device recognizesthat it has received a data packet and simulates a driver for thewireless device, thereby causing the device to register the keystroke orstylus input performed at the client machine.

Alternatively, the client machine can include a graphic of the wirelessdata device on the monitor and data can be input using a mouse clickover a key on the graphic of the remote data device.

In this way, a local user can control the remote wireless data deviceand obtain the results displayed on the wireless data device. Further,in this data mode the user can form a closed loop communications pathfor the device where the device can be communicated with both over thewireless network and through the remote user interface. Thus a testercould, for example, send an email to the device over the wirelessnetwork and see the results through the remote user interface.

The application therefore provides a system for testing a wirelessdevice comprising: a remote user interface for interacting with the datadevice from a remote location; and a wireless network for communicationwith the wireless data device from a remote location, wherein a testercan send information to and receive information from said wirelessdevice over said wireless network and can monitor said wireless deviceand send inputs to said wireless device over said remote user interfacethereby forming a closed loop communications path.

The application further provides A method of remotely testing a wirelessdevice from a remote location comprising the steps of: interacting withthe wireless device through a remote user interface from the remotelocation; and sending information to the wireless device and receivinginformation from the wireless device over a wireless network; wherebysaid interacting step and sending and receiving step forms a closed loopcommunications path with the remote wireless device for testing thewireless device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above is best understood with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the system herein;

FIG. 2 is a process flow chart for the steps required to update aclient's screen;

FIG. 3 is a process flow chart for the steps required to simulate astylus event on the wireless device;

FIG. 4 is a process flow chart of the steps required to simulate akeystroke on the wireless device;

FIG. 5 is a process flow chart of the steps required to simulate astylus on the wireless device;

FIG. 6 is an alternative embodiment, including an audio output and inputfor the wireless device; and

FIG. 7 is an exemplary block diagram of a data device that could be usedin accordance with the present system and method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference is now made to the drawings.

The remote user interface 10 for a wireless device includes a clientmachine 12 that generally is located remotely from the wireless device.In a preferred embodiment, client machine 12 is a personal computer.Software running on client machine 12 displays an image simulating thewireless device. The display can be either only the LCD display as seenon the wireless device, or can include an image of the entire wirelessdevice, including the LCD display and any keypad on the device.

Software running on client machine 12 further has the capability ofinteracting with a communications channel such as network 14 in order toprovide communication between the client machine 12 and a server machine16. Networks 14 are well known in the art and can include the internet,a wide area network, a local area network, or simply a connectionbetween two computers. One skilled in the art will appreciate that othercommunication means between two computers are also known in the art.Further, in some situations where the server machine and the clientmachine are the same computer, network 14 may be a simulated internalcommunications channel.

Server machine 16 includes software for communicating with network 14,thereby allowing communications to and from client machine 12. Servermachine 16 further includes software for communicating with a wirelessdata device 18 whose user interface is being simulated on client machine12.

Wireless data device 18 and server machine 16 are connected through aninterface 20. Interfaces between data devices and personal computers arewell known, and can include, among others, a universal serial bus (USB)connection, an infrared connection, a Bluetooth connection, or otherwired or wireless communication means.

A wireless network 21 communicates over an air interface with wirelessdevice 18 through a base station and further the network includes accessto client machine 12 through the data network. In one example, wirelessnetwork could support delivery of an email to wireless device 18 usingan Internet connection on client machine 12.

Reference is now made to FIG. 2. The embodiment herein seeks to maintainthe current display of wireless data device 18 on client machine 12. Todo this, software on client machine 12 requests an update of the screenof the wireless data device 18 periodically. In a preferred embodiment,this screen update request 30 is performed every 500 milliseconds.However, depending on the requirements, the screen update request may bemore or less frequent.

Screen update request 30 is sent by client machine 12 over network 14.Server machine 16 receives the screen update request 30 and in step 32converts the request to an appropriate format for sending over interface20.

Wireless device 18 receives the converted request over interface 20 andin step 34 interprets the request. Step 34 determines that an LCDdisplay capture is being requested and wireless device 18 moves to step36. In step 36, the LCD display is captured and wireless device 18 nextmoves to step 38.

In step 38, the captured LCD screen is compressed for transmission. Oneskilled in the art will realize that this compression step is optionaland that data may be transmitted without being compressed.

Wireless device 18 next transmits the captured LCD screen over interface20 back to server machine 16. Server machine 16 in step 40 converts thecaptured screen into a format acceptable for network transmission.Server machine 16 further sends the converted data from step 40 overnetwork 14.

Client machine 12 receives the converted screen capture and in step 42updates the display on its screen. In this way, the client machine 12maintains a graphical display identical to the graphical display of thewireless data device 18.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3. In one embodiment the constant requestsfor screen updates generate a significant amount of network traffic,which may be unacceptable to the network. In this case, a client 12 mayrequest that the LCD display inform the client when the LCD displaychanges.

Changes in the LCD display may be a result of a user input, an automaticfunction such as a clock, received messages over the wireless network,or for other reasons known to those skilled in the art.

In FIG. 3, client machine 12 therefore requests in step 44 that wirelessdevice 18 inform it when a change has occurred on the LCD display ofwireless device 18. This request is sent over network 14 to servermachine 16, where it is converted for interface 20 in step 32. Thisrequest is then sent over interface 20 to wireless device 18 where therequest is interpreted at step 34. The wireless device then waits instep 46 for the LCD screen to change.

Once the LCD screen changes, wireless device 18 generates a message instep 47, which is sent over interface 20 to step 40, which converts themessage for the network. The message is then sent over network 14 tostep 30, in which the client machine requests a screen update. Therequest then follows the method described above in relation to FIG. 2.

In an alternative embodiment, in step 47 the wireless device couldinclude a screen capture, and this could be sent over the network withor without screen compression step 38. Client 12 in the alternativeembodiment would perform an update screen step 42 rather than request ascreen update.

Reference is now made to FIG. 4. In order to simulate keystrokes, akeystroke made on the client machine 12 is passed to wireless datadevice 18. A user inputs a keystroke in step 50 on client machine 12.The keystroke can be either input through a keyboard or if the graphicsdisplay includes a full representation of the wireless data device,including the keypad of the wireless data device, a mouse click on theappropriate key can also be registered. Other means for inputting dataof the client machine 12 is known to those skilled in the art.

Client machine 12 in step 52 recognizes that a keystroke has been inputand converts this keystroke into a packet that can be sent acrossnetwork 14.

Server machine 16 receives the packet from step 52 and in step 54converts this packet to be transferred across interface 20.

Wireless device 18 includes a driver handling the interface. This driverinterprets the request in step 56. The interface driver recognizes thatthe data packet is a keystroke and in step 58 the interface driversimulates a keypad driver. In this way, the wireless data device 18thinks that the input came from its keypad. The simulated keypad drivernext uses the data packet created in step 54 to input a keystroke on thewireless data device 18 in step 60.

Reference is now made to FIG. 5. As an alternative to keypad inputs, amethod to simulate a stylus event on the wireless device is provided. Astylus event could be simulated through the use of a mouse on clientmachine 12, where clicking the mouse could be a pen down simulation,releasing the mouse could be a pen up simulation, and dragging the mouseover the LCD representation on client machine 12 could simulate thedragging of the mouse on wireless device 18.

As one skilled in the art will realize, the dragging of the mouse overthe LCD representation on client machine 12 will generate an X and Ycoordinate for the stylus, and when this changes a new event is sentfrom client machine 12 to wireless device 18. The movement events may beonly sent during mouse clicks to simulate a stylus with the pen down, ormay be sent even when the mouse is not clicked in some applications.

Further, as one skilled in the art will realize, a client machine mayuse means other than a mouse to simulate a stylus, including a touchscreen, a stylus on the client machine, or other devices know to thosein the art.

In FIG. 5, a stylus event is registered on client machine 12 in step 62.This event, as indicated above, may be the clicking, releasing, ormoving of the mouse on the LCD representation on client machine 12.

In step 63, the stylus event is packaged for network transmission and istransmitted over network 14. The server machine 16 converts the eventinformation for interface 20 in step 54 and sends this information overinterface 20.

In step 56 wireless device 18 interprets the request and finds it is astylus event. Based on the request a stylus driver is simulated in step64. The driver in step 64 is used to input the stylus event on wirelessdevice in step 66.

In this way, the user can simulate a stylus event remotely, allowing theremote user to control the device in a manner similar to that which alocal user could.

Based on the above, the combination of the steps in FIGS. 2 to 5 providea client machine 12 with control of wireless data device 18 from aremote location. The display of the wireless data device is updatedregularly on client machine 12 through either periodic update requestsor based on changes in the display of wireless device 18. Keystrokes orstylus events can be input from client machine 12. The desired featuresare thereby accomplished.

Specifically, in debugging situations where a wireless network is onlyavailable at a remote location, the wireless device can be connected toa server machine at that remote location with all of the testing beingaccomplished from the client location. Also, in the case of technicalsupport, the wireless data device can be connected to a computer runningthe appropriate software, and a technical support employee can then havefull control over the wireless device. A closed path communication canbe established through the remote user interface 10 and wireless network21.

For the training example, where the display of the wireless device is tobe projected from a digital projector, client machine 12 and servermachine 16 can be the same machine. In this case, network 14 issimulated on the client/server machine and communications between theclient and server are performed on the same machine. Client machine 12can further be connected to the digital projector. This allows wirelessdata device 18 to have its display projected through one computerrunning both client and server software.

Testing during the creation of a device is further provided for. In thecase of a device in which a display or keypad have not yet beenintegrated into the hardware of the device, the present invention can beused to replace the display and keypad. Again, in this situation, clientmachine 12 and server machine 16 will be one machine and can be used inplace of a display and keypad to ensure that the underlying hardware isworking properly. Again, testing can be accomplished by sendingcommunications from the device 18 to a tester's local computer overwireless network 21 by utilizing the remote user interface 10 to sendthe communications, or by sending information from the client machine 12to the wireless device 18 and then monitoring the wireless device 18using remote user interface 10.

Reference is now made to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment inwhich capturing the audio functions of a wireless device isaccomplished. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art theaudio remote user interface can be used independently from or inconjunction with a data remote user interface. If used in conjunctionwith a data remote user interface a wireless data device 18 is connectedto a server machine 16 using an interface 20. The screen display andkeyboard inputs for the embodiment of FIG. 6 are the same as those ofFIGS. 1-5.

An audio box 70 can be added in order to have the audio of wireless datadevice 18 available to a remote user. The remote user can dial to atelephone line connected to audio box 70. The client machine 12 canfurther send a pre-existing command to server machine 16 to answer thetelephone call. Once the telephone call is answered by server machine16, audio from wireless data device 18 is connected and the telephone ofthe user simulates the audio of the wireless data device.

As indicated in FIG. 6, phone line 72 is connected to audio box 70 and aring detector 74 signals to server machine 16 through a parallel port 76that the telephone is ringing. If server machine 16 has received acommand from client machine 12 to answer, audio controller server 78sends a signal to loop controller 80 to answer the telephone. Audio box70 is further connected through a microphone input 82 and a headphone orspeaker output 84 or 86 respectively.

Based on the above, an audio signal traveling along a phone line 72 isconnected through microphone input 82 to wireless data device 18, andthus can simulate an audio input to the wireless device 18. Further,audio output from the wireless device is sent either through headphones84 or speakers 86 and these are captured and sent back across phone line72 to a user telephone.

As one skilled in the art will appreciate, rather than using a parallelport 76 for a custom built audio box, an audio PC board such as the PicaInline™ or any modem with headset interface can be used.

There is therefore provided a complete simulation of the wireless datadevice, including possible audio interface to the wireless data devicefrom a remote location. Further, a complete audio closed loop can beaccomplished by having a user dial up the wireless device being testedover a cellular telephone network (wireless network) and use the phoneconnection through audio box 70 to ensure that sound transmitted to thedevice is received and conveyed by the wireless device. As will furtherbe appreciated by those skilled in the art, when using an audio box 70for testing, wireless device 18 does not need to have data capabilitiesand can thus be a voice device.

Reference is now made to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustratinga host mobile station including preferred embodiments of the techniquesof the present application. Mobile station 1100 is preferably a two-waywireless communication device having at least voice and datacommunication capabilities. Mobile station 1100 preferably has thecapability to communicate with other computer systems on the Internet.Depending on the exact functionality provided, the wireless device maybe referred to as a data messaging device, a two-way pager, a Wirelesse-mail device, a cellular telephone with data messaging capabilities, awireless Internet appliance, or a data communication device, asexamples.

Where mobile device 1100 is enabled for two-way communication, it willincorporate a communication subsystem 1111, including both a receiver1112 and a transmitter 1114, as well as associated components such asone or more, preferably embedded or internal, antenna elements 1116 and1118, local oscillators (LOs) 1113, and a processing module such as adigital signal processor (DSP) 1120. As will be apparent to thoseskilled in the field of communications, the particular design of thecommunication subsystem 1111 will be dependent upon the communicationnetwork in which the device is intended to operate. For example, mobilestation 1100 may include a communication subsystem 1111 designed tooperate within the Mobitex™ mobile communication system, the DataTAC™mobile communication system, GPRS network, UMTS network, EDGE network orCDMA network.

Network access requirements will also vary depending upon the type ofnetwork 1119. For example, in the Mobitex and DataTAC networks, mobilestation 1100 is registered on the network using a unique identificationnumber associated with each mobile station. In UMTS and GPRS networks,and in some CDMA networks, however, network access is associated with asubscriber or user of mobile station 1100. A GPRS mobile stationtherefore requires a subscriber identity module (SIM) card in order tooperate on a GPRS network, and a RUIM in order to operate on some CDMAnetworks. Without a valid SIM/RUIM card, a GPRS/UMTS/CDMA mobile stationmay not be fully functional. Local or non-network communicationfunctions, as well as legally required functions (if any) such asemergency calling, may be available, but mobile station 1100 will beunable to carry out any other functions involving communications overthe network 1100. The SIM/RUIM interface 1144 is normally similar to acard-slot into which a SIM/RUIM card can be inserted and ejected like adiskette or PCMCIA card. The SIM/RUIM card can have approximately 64K ofmemory and hold many key configuration 1151, and other information 1153such as identification, and subscriber related information.

When required network registration or activation procedures have beencompleted, mobile station 1100 may send and receive communicationsignals over the network 1119. Signals received by antenna 1116 throughcommunication network 1119 are input to receiver 1112, which may performsuch common receiver functions as signal amplification, frequency downconversion, filtering, channel selection and the -like, and in theexample system shown in FIG. 7, analog to digital (A/D) conversion. A/Dconversion of a received signal allows more complex communicationfunctions such as demodulation and decoding to be performed in the DSP1120. In a similar manner, signals to be transmitted are processed,including modulation and encoding for example, by DSP 1120 and input totransmitter 1114 for digital to analog conversion, frequency upconversion, filtering, amplification and transmission over thecommunication network 1119 via antenna 1118. DSP 1120 not only processescommunication signals, but also provides for receiver and transmittercontrol. For example, the gains applied to communication signals inreceiver 1112 and transmitter 1114 may be adaptively controlled throughautomatic gain control algorithms implemented in DSP 1120.

Network 1119 may further communicate with multiple systems, including aserver 1160 and other elements (not shown). For example, network 1119may communicate with both an enterprise system and a web client systemin order to accommodate various clients with various service levels.

Mobile station 1100 preferably includes a microprocessor 1138 whichcontrols the overall operation of the device. Communication functions,including at least data and voice communications, are performed throughcommunication subsystem 1111. Microprocessor 1138 also interacts withfurther device subsystems such as the display 1122, flash memory 1124,random access memory (RAM) 1126, auxiliary input/output (I/O) subsystems1128, serial port 1130, keyboard 1132, speaker 1134, microphone 1136, ashort-range communications subsystem 1140 and any other devicesubsystems generally designated as 1142.

Some of the subsystems shown in FIG. 7 perform communication-relatedfunctions, whereas other subsystems may provide “resident” or on-devicefunctions. Notably, some subsystems, such as keyboard 1132 and display1122, for example, may be used for both communication-related functions,such as entering a text message for transmission over a communicationnetwork, and device-resident functions such as a calculator or tasklist.

Operating system software used by the microprocessor 1138 is preferablystored in a persistent store such as flash memory 1124, which mayinstead be a read-only memory (ROM) or similar storage element (notshown). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the operatingsystem, specific device applications, or parts thereof, may betemporarily loaded into a volatile memory such as RAM 1126. Receivedcommunication signals may also be stored in RAM 1126. Further, a uniqueidentifier is also preferably stored in read-only memory.

As shown, flash memory 1124 can be segregated into different areas forboth computer programs 1158 and program data storage 1150, 1152, 1154and 1156. These different storage types indicate that each program canallocate a portion of flash memory 1124 for their own data storagerequirements. Microprocessor 1138, in addition to its operating systemfunctions, preferably enables execution of software applications on themobile station. A predetermined set of applications that control basicoperations, including at least data and voice communication applicationsfor example, will normally be installed on mobile station 1100 duringmanufacturing. A preferred software application may be a personalinformation manager (PIM) application having the ability to organize andmanage data items relating to the user of the mobile station such as,but not limited to, e-mail, calendar events, voice mails, appointments,and task items. Naturally, one or more memory stores would be availableon the mobile station to facilitate storage of PIM data items. Such PIMapplication would preferably have the ability to send and receive dataitems, via the wireless network 1119. In a preferred embodiment, the PIMdata items are seamlessly integrated, synchronized and updated, via thewireless network 1119, with the mobile station user?s corresponding dataitems stored or associated with a host computer system. Furtherapplications may also be loaded onto the mobile station 1100 through thenetwork 1119, an auxiliary I/O subsystem 1128, serial port 1130,short-range communications subsystem 1140 or any other suitablesubsystem 1142, and installed by a user in the RAM 1126 or preferably anon-volatile store (not shown) for execution by the microprocessor 1138.Such flexibility in application installation increases the functionalityof the device and may provide enhanced on-device functions,communication-related functions, or both. For example, securecommunication applications may enable electronic commerce functions andother such financial transactions-to be performed using the mobilestation 1100. These applications will however, according to the above,in many cases need to be approved by a carrier.

In a data communication mode, a received signal such as a text messageor web page download will be processed by the communication subsystem1111 and input to the microprocessor 1138, which preferably furtherprocesses the received signal for output to the display 1122, oralternatively to an auxiliary I/O device 1128. A user of mobile station1100 may also compose data items such as email messages for example,using the keyboard 1132, which is preferably a complete alphanumerickeyboard or telephone-type keypad, in conjunction with the display 1122and possibly an auxiliary. I/O device 1128. Such composed items may thenbe transmitted over a communication network through the communicationsubsystem 1111.

For voice communications, overall operation of mobile station 1100 issimilar, except that received signals would preferably be output to aspeaker 1134 and signals for transmission would be generated by amicrophone 1136. Alternative voice or audio I/O subsystems, such as avoice message recording subsystem, may also be implemented on mobilestation 1100. Although voice or audio signal output is preferablyaccomplished primarily through the speaker 1134, display 1122 may alsobe used to provide an indication of the identity of a calling party, theduration of a voice call, or other voice call related information forexample.

Serial port 1130 in FIG. 7 would normally be implemented in a personaldigital assistant (PDA)-type mobile station for which synchronizationwith a user's desktop computer (not shown) may be desirable. Such a port1130 would enable a user to set preferences through an external deviceor software application and would extend the capabilities of mobilestation 1100 by providing for information or software downloads tomobile station 1100 other than through a wireless communication network.The alternate download path may for example be used to load anencryption key onto the device through a direct and thus reliable andtrusted connection to thereby enable secure device communication.

Other communications subsystems 1140, such as a short-rangecommunications subsystem, is a further optional component which mayprovide for communication between mobile station 1100 and differentsystems or devices, which need not necessarily be similar devices. Forexample, the subsystem 1140 may include an infrared device andassociated circuits and components or a Bluetooth™ communication moduleto provide for communication with similarly enabled systems and devices.

The exemplary mobile station of FIG. 4 is meant to be illustrative andother devices with more or fewer features than the above could equallybe used for the present method and apparatus.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the use of awireless device allows with the present system allows complete looptesting to be conducted from a remote location. Specifically, if thedevice is connected to a server 16 with interface 20, then a remote userwith a client 12 can see what is received at device 18 and can furthersend information from device 18. This information can be sent fromclient 18 either through server 16 to the wireless device 18, or can besent over a wireless network to the wireless device.

For example, if the tester is testing an email system, the tester cansend an email as he/she normally would to the address of the wirelessdevice through a data network to a base station which then passes themessage wirelessly to the data device. The tester can also, throughclient 12 and server 16 see what is received by wireless device 18. Thusthe tester can see whether the email message is received by the wirelessdevice and whether there are any problems with the email message.Further, the tester can see what the device does when it first receivesthe email. For example, if the device should give an email alert to auser, the tester should see this email alert and then be able to accessthe message received.

Similarly, the tester can use client 12 to tell server 16 and wirelessdevice 18 to send an email. The email recipient could be set to be thetester's email address, thus allowing the tester to wait for the emailto be received at the local machine through the standard data network.

With the audio box, the user could telephone the wireless device on afirst telephone line. A second telephone line could be used forcontrolling audio box 72 and to listen to and send information fromwireless device 18.

Other options for communicating over the data network as well as overinterface 20, thus forming a closed loop communications path, would beknown to those skilled in the art.

The above-described embodiments are meant to be illustrative ofpreferred embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of thepresent invention. Also, various modifications, which would be readilyapparent to one skilled in the art, are intended to be within the scopeof the present invention. The only limitations to the scope of thepresent invention are set forth in the following claims.

1. A system for remotely testing a wireless device comprising: a) aremote user interface for interacting with the data device from a remotelocation; and b) a wireless network for communication with the wirelessdata device from a remote location, wherein a tester can sendinformation to and receive information from said wireless device oversaid wireless network and can monitor said wireless device and sendinputs to said wireless device over said remote user interface therebyforming a closed loop communications path.
 2. The system of claim 1,wherein the remote user interface includes: a client machine; a servermachine; a communications channel for providing data exchange betweensaid client machine and said server machine; and an interface forproviding data exchange between said server machine and said wirelessdata device.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein said client machine islocated remotely from said server machine.
 4. The system of claim 2,wherein said interface is one of a USB connection, an infraredconnection and a Bluetooth interface.
 5. The system of claim 2, whereinsaid server machine converts data from said client machine based on saidinterface.
 6. The system of claim 1 wherein said remote user interfaceincludes an audio box, said audio box having a telephone connection andbeing connected to a parallel port of said server machine and to amicrophone input and a headset and speaker output of said wireless datadevice, wherein audio input and output to and from said wireless datadevice passes through said audio box and over said telephone line. 7.The system of claim 2, wherein said server machine further comprises anaudio modem, said audio modem being connected to said wireless datadevice at a microphone input for said wireless data device and at aheadset or speaker output of said wireless data device, said modemfurther being connected to the telephone line, whereby audio input andoutput to and from said wireless data device is transferred over saidtelephone line.
 8. The system of claim 2, wherein said input is akeystroke on said client machine.
 9. The system of claim 2, wherein saidinput is a stylus event on said client machine. 10 The system of claim9, wherein said stylus event is one of a mouse click, a mouse release,and a cursor drag over a graphical representation of a display of saidwireless device on said client machine.
 11. A method of remotely testinga wireless device from a remote location comprising the steps of: a)interacting with the wireless device through a remote user interfacefrom the remote location; and b) sending information to the wirelessdevice and receiving information from the wireless device over awireless network; whereby said interacting step and sending andreceiving step forms a closed loop communications path with the remotewireless device for testing the wireless device.
 12. The method of claim11, wherein the wireless device is connected to a server machine throughan interface and the server machine is connected to a client machinewith a communications network.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein theinteracting step includes: transmitting from said wireless device ascreen capture to said client machine; and sending user inputs to saidwireless device from said client machine.
 14. The method of claim 11,wherein sending information and receiving information step involves amessage selected from the group consisting of an email message, a textmessage, a short message service message, and a calendar event.
 15. Themethod of claim 11, wherein said wireless data device is furtherconnected to an audio box, said audio box being connected to a firsttelephone, the interacting step including: a) sending audio signals toand from said wireless device from the remote location through the audiobox, whereby a tester can use said first telephone to send an receiveaudio signals to and from said wireless device.
 16. The method of claim15, wherein the sending and receiving information step includescommunicating between the wireless device and the tester using a secondtelephone, said communicating occurring over the wireless network,whereby the results of said communicating step can be monitored on saidfirst telephone.